By Hafsat Mohammed Baba
The popular saying that ‘a fool at forty is a fool forever’ is not out of place when viewed against the backdrop of our current circumstances, specifically on the issue of the abducted young secondary school girls in Chibok, Borno State.
Whenever people talk or voice their opinion on an issue, we need to understand where they are coming from, what they represent, their passion and humility as well as their attitude towards fellow humans and life generally. Human beings are special creatures with ability to reflect and take action in a compassionate and humane manner, most especially if you are a woman.
Women are known to be protective of their children, no matter how appalling they may be; to a mother, a child is her heart, body and soul knitted together. Even if that woman is insane and lives in the streets, her child is very dear to her. It is better for a woman to see the dead body of her child and bury it than for the child to go missing, kidnapped or abducted by unknown gun men.
The abduction of over 200 girls in Chibok, Borno State has dominated every home nationally and internationally. The International Community has focused its attention on Nigeria since the news broke out about three weeks ago. It has beamed its search light on the government and security agencies to see how these girls will be rescued. Unfortunately, the silence from federal authorities and security agencies became so unbearable and unaccepted, which prompted concerned Nigerian women and mothers to initiate street demonstrations (protests) in Abuja and other state capitals.
When government officials chose to speak, the information that they dish out is often is very scanty and contradictory and the public ended up being misinformed. In addition, they throw up conflicting figures and make up stories of the military’s rescue ‘efforts’. That was why women from all corners of Nigeria took their destinies in their own hands and took to the streets.
I salute the courage of our sister the former Minister of Education, Mrs Oby Ezekwesili, who was in the forefront of the Abuja protest. In addition, the countless prayer sessions that are being organised across religious divides symbolise our unity in times of grief. We are of the firm conviction that God will answer our prayers and bring back our children safely and reunite them with their families.
However, it is unfortunate that while the mothers, and with other responsible and courageous women, were on the streets despite heavy downpour, crying and demanding the immediate rescue of these girls, the National Women Leader of PDP, Mrs Kema Chikwe, sitting in the comfort of the party secretariat, voiced doubts on the veracity of the abduction, questioning whether it really happened.
That was a cruel position to take, to put mildly; it was insensitive and very wide off the mark. Later, when Nigerians reacted angrily to her unguarded comments, Chikwe resorted to the well-known excuse that her comments or observations were quoted out of context or misinterpreted!
The fact that she blamed Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno state and exonerated her husband who is the nation’s chief security officer, speaks volumes of passing the buck. Significantly, Borno State is still under emergency and the governor has ipso facto been stripped of all basic security functions. So, it is contradictory for the first lady to now turn round to blame Shettima.
In addition, she didn’t spare the governor’s wife. The question is, why should Dame Patience even now call the governor’s wife to Abuja? After all, the first lady was never there for her in the last three years of her trying times. Nigerians will like to know what Dame Patience has done to assist the displaced widows and orphans of Borno State who flooded other states and neighbouring countries to escape death.
The answer is that the First Lady has done nothing. Instead, she is now playing the blame game when her husband is the chief culprit in this matter. Another dimension to the politicisation of the abducted children is the ethno-religious colour that it is now assuming. I was shocked at a friend’s outrage and anger when she blurted out that Governor Shettima should bring out their Christian children.
I thought we have risen above that religious mentality. Every patriotic Nigerian should be thinking of how these children should be rescued alive and reunited with their families. But I’m surprised at the deafening silence of the National Council of Women’s Societies. Is the National President of the NCWS also among the doubters?
It is regrettable that NCWS has strayed off completely from the constitution and moral values on which it was founded. Now that the Christian Association of Nigeria has released some of the names of the abducted girls, and a video of some now in the public domain, how soon do we expect the innocent kids to be set free? That is what should concern us the most, not who did not do what or who the doubting Thomases amongst us are.
Mrs Baba is of Global Initiative for Women and Children, Kaduna